OPINION: No Skipping While the Pinwheels Are Spinning: A Take on Pinwheel Day

Pinwheel Day–a day where pinwheels are scattered across Founder’s Green, the sun is shining, and students are gathered on the grass, lounging on various towels and blankets, and playing games. Thanks to an anonymous student-led group that sets up the pinwheels the night before, Pinwheel Day has become a significant day in the lives of Haverford students. It gives students a chance to relax before final exams and emphasizes the beauty and importance of Haverford’s arboretum campus. While for some, this day means an opportunity to enjoy the weather without the burden of classes, others see it as a chance to pause and reflect on the semester. This year, Pinwheel Day took place on April 23rd, and as predicted, students sat themselves on the grass to enjoy the beautiful day.

Pinwheel Day has commonly taken place on the “first nice day of Spring,” but what determines these factors? The past two years have seen Pinwheel Day arrive in early to mid-April. As of late April 2025, there have been numerous “nice” days in which the sun is shining, and the temperature is in the moderate seventies. This left students wondering when this day would occur.

When it does occur, though, classes are typically cancelled, leaving students with no excuse not to enjoy such a beautiful day, or at least, that’s how it’s advertised. Throughout several of my tours on this campus, Pinwheel Day was emphasized as a key part of Haverford’s culture. But why keep advertising a spirit that has been deteriorating for both students and faculty over the years? 

As a first-year student, Pinwheel Day was ultimately one of the deciding factors in my decision to continue my studies at Haverford; it showed me that the students here value maintaining a healthy balance between academics and everyday life. After partaking in Plenary in both semesters, I felt like I officially connected to my school and its culture, and was eagerly awaiting the day when I would wake up to find pinwheels scattered across Founder’s Green. However, what I didn’t anticipate were emails from professors informing students that class would not be canceled on Pinwheel Day. They mentioned that “Haverford College policy does not encourage skipping classes on Pinwheel Day.” 

My overarching question is, why advertise something like this that’s not true? Again, I’ve heard from several people who’ve experienced Pinwheel Day before, mentioning how exciting it is to know their classes are cancelled so they can enjoy the day. 

I hear from upperclassmen and others around me asking when Pinwheel Day will be, sparking conversations and hoping to use it as an excuse to skip their classes that day, implying that classes were not canceled for the day in the past. Additionally, there is a stigma surrounding those who choose to attend class. I often hear students talking about their friends going to classes, and saying things like: “Imagine going to classes on Pinwheel Day.” Sometimes these students don’t have a choice, as they have presentations or in-class exams to complete.

This also raises questions about whether Haverford is delivering on what it promises to its prospective students, such as student agency and transparency to students. What is Haverford College trying to tell its prospective students? And why do they feel the need to bend the truth to get those excited to start their college journey here?

Pinwheel Day should be a day to celebrate the end of the spring semester, bring people together, and enjoy a nice day surrounded by nature. Instead, it creates a divide between professors and students, and students among themselves, bringing about almost the opposite effect that a nice tradition is supposed to have. 

One suggestion to improve this divide is to move classes outside. Last week, I saw a couple of professors teaching their class outside, bringing whiteboards and markers to lecture there. This is a great compromise for not cancelling class–you still gain valuable knowledge while enjoying the beautiful day. I understand this isn’t available for every class, but it’s a nice step to meeting faculty and students halfway. As a school that prioritizes and prides itself on academic excellence and its arboretum, this is a great way to show both of those characteristics to prospective and current students. Until Founder’s Green is popularized with pinwheels next year, I’m left hoping that the following Pinwheel Days are a more accurate representation of Haverford’s culture.